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No. 6|9,687. Patented Feb. I4, I899.

W. A. HARVEY.

. ELECTRICAL SIGN.

Applicatiou filed Feb. 23, 1898.)

(No Model.)

miiiil WITNESSES THE NORRIS PEYERS 00-. PHOTO-LUNG" WMNNGTGN. U- E- gUNITED STATES PATENT Prion.

WILLIAM A. HARVEY, OF SORANTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- IIALF TONATHAN VIDAVER AND H. B. REYNOLDS, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRICAL SIGN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 619,687, dated February14, 1899.

Application filed February 23, 1898. Serial No. 671,806. (No modell T0aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. HARVEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Scranton, in the county of Lackawanna and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inElectrical Signs; andIdo declare the following to be afull,clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of 'this specification.

This invention-relates to electrical signs or display-boards, andespecially those in which the letters or other devicesare composed of anumber of incandescent electric lamps suitably grouped together.

The object of the invention is toenable the lamps to be readilyarranged, shifted, and removed in making up any given sign or inchanging from one to another.

The device consists, in brief, of a base of insulating material,on whichare supported several parallel bars of metal,between the edges of whichare interposed movable and removable holders of insulation, eachcarrying an electric lamp, whose terminals are connected with metalliccontacts on said holders arranged to bear against the supporting-bars.The bars are alternately connected wi th the main conductors, so thateach lamp will close the circuit between the two bars by which it issupported and all the lamps will be connected up in multiple. slid backand forth along the bars to change their positions, and additional lampscan be inserted or superfluous ones removed at will to enable anydesired grouping of the lamps to be effected.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a sign embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is an end elevation on an enlarged scale and partly insection. Fig. 3 is a still larger view of a portion of the device,showing one lamp-holder in section. Figs. 4 and 5 show modified forms ofholders.

The base A is a plate of slate or some other good insulating material.It has two parallel The lamps can be,

slots a, preferably near each end, respectively. In each slot are aplurality of bushings B, of porcelain or the like, having stems b, whichfit easily in the slots at, being in length the same as or slightly lessthan the thickness of the base A. The bushings have enlarged heads I),which project outwardly from the base A. A screw 0 passes lengthwisethrough each bushing, its head 0 serving to clamp to the outer end ofthe bushing one end of a metallic bar D. The threaded end of the boltprojects beyond the back of the base A and receives three washers and anut. The washer c is wider than the slot (1 and serves as aretaining-washer for the bushing-screw and bar. It is preferably ofinsulating inaterial, such as porcelain. Washer c is of leather or otherelastic material, and Washer is of metal to receive the direct pressureof the nut 0 The bars D are supported by the bushings B at a uniformdistance in front of the base A, there being a bushing at or near eachend of each bar. The bars are somewhat wider than the heads of thebushings, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The bushings are adjusted in theslots a, so that the adjacent edges of each pair of bars are parallel.The bars are preferably alternately connected with the two mains E E,preferably by wires clamped under the nuts 0 The lamp-holders eachconsist of a block F, of porcelain or other insulation, whose upper andlower edges have a plate of metal ff secured to them. The plates may belet in flush with the block, as shown. Plate f is secured by a screw fwhich serves also to fasten one side of the lamp-socket G to the block,the other side being held by a short screwbolt f whose nut is receivedin a recess in the back of the block, so that the lamp-socket will notbe in electrical connection with the plate f, but only with plate f. Thecenter contact of the lamp-socket is a screw-bolt G, whose head istightly clamped against the plate f. When the lamp H is inserted intothe socket G, its terminals will then be in connection with the platesff, respectively.

Each plate is constructed to engage with the edge of a bar D. In Figs. 2and 3 the I00 edge of the plate is shown with a groove f, which is deepenough to permit the holder to be rotated a quarter-turn in order todisengage it from the bars when it is to be removed, as shown at I inFig. 1. This enables" any lamp to be removed without disturbing theothers.

The rear edges of the plates do not overlap the bars D enough to preventthem from sliding past the bushings B, if necessary, this fact beingclearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3. small set-screw F in each plate servesto clasp it firmly to the bar when the lamp has been adjusted and alsoinsures a good electrical contact.

In Fig. 4 the plates f f are carried out beyond the edges of the block Fand are then bent outwardly into a hook shape, so as to embrace theedgesof the bars D. The plates have a slight spring action, which tends topress the hooks into close contact with the bars.

In Fig. 5 the plates ff rest flat against the face of the bars and areheld there by a crossbar K, of porcelain or the like, laid across thetwo bars D and pressed against them by a spring, preferably a helicalspring L, surrounding the shank of the screw-bolt G, which in this caseis made longer and is enlarged back of the plate f, so as to form ashoulder to hold said plate in place. The spring abuts between thecross-bar and the head of the bolt. contact between the plates ff andthe bars D, but permits the holder to be readily shifted. By giving thecross-bar a quarter-turn on the screw G the holder is disengaged fromthe bars D.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that this inventionenables signs or displays of different figures, letters, words, anddesigns to be readily made up from incandescent electric lamps and thatit permits changes to be quickly made from one sign or combination toanother by the mere shifting of the lamp-holders. WVhile the holdershown is adapted to receive an Edison lamp, it will be understood thatany desired type of lamp may be used.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. In an electrical sign, the combination with an insulating-base, of aseries of parallel conductors supported thereon, and a plurality oflamp-holders having grooved edges to engage the adjacent edges of anypair of conductors, substantially as described.

2. I11 an electrical sign, the combination with a base of insulatingmaterial, of rows of supports mounted thereon, a series of metallic barscarried on said supports, and a plurality of lamp-holders removablyengaging It causes a good electrical with pairs of said bars,substantially as described.

3. In an electrical sign, the combination with an insulating-base,having parallel slots, of insulating-bushings adjustably mounted in saidslots, metallic bars carried on pairs of said bushings, with their edgesparallel, and movable lamp-holders having metallic plates engaging withthe edges of said bars, substantially as described.

4. In an electrical sign, the combination with a base having a slot, ofinsulating-bushings each having a stem received in said slot and a headprojecting in front of said base, a screw-bolt passing lengthwisethrough said bushing, and a metallic bar secured bysaid bolts to theouter ends of each pair of bushings, substantially as described.

5. In an electrical sign, the combination with a base having a slot, ofbushings of metallic material each having a stem received in said slotand a head projecting in front of said base, a screw-bolt passinglengthwise through said bushing, an insulating retaining-washer at theback of said base, an elastic Washer, a metallic washer and a nut, andconducting-bars held by said bolts against the heads of the bushings,substantially as described.

6. In an electrical sign, the combination with suitably-supportedconductors,of a lampholder composed of a block of insulation, alamp-socket secured thereto, and metallic plates projecting beyond theopposite edges of the block and having grooved edges adapted to engagewith said conductors, substantially as described.

7. In an electrical sign, the combinatio with suitably supportedparallel metallic bars, of a lamp-holder composed of a block ofinsulation, metallic plates applied to opposite edges of said block andsunk in flush with the surface thereof, a lamp-socket, a screwconnecting said socket with one of said plates, a screw-bolt for furthersecuring the lamp-socket, having its not held in a recess in said block,a center-contact screw-bolt securing the other plate to the block, andmeans for keeping said plates removably engaged with said bars,substantially as described.

8. In an electrical sign, a lamp-holder com posed of a block F ofinsulation, plates ff secured to opposite edges of said block and havinggrooves f, and set-screws F in each plate projecting into said grooves,substantially as described. i

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM A. HARVEY.

Witnesses:

NATHAN VIDAVER, JOHN T. MARTIN.

